Blade-sharpener.



A. A. WYCKOFF BLADE SHARPENER.

APPLlcArlou FILED June 1s. 1915,

1,182,440. Patented May9.1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. .p

LMOS A. WYCKOFF, F SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO EGITE MA'NFAC- TUBING COMPANY, 0F SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

BLADESHARPENER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1913i..

Application led .Tune 19, 1915. Serial No. 35,088.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known thatA I, AMos A. VVYCKOFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Cruz. in the county of Santa Cruz and State of California, have invented certain new and useful 'Blade-Sharpeners, of which thevfcllowing is a specification.

This invention relates to blade Sharpeners and hasmore particular reference to a novel device for sharpening safety razor blades and similar articles.

One of the primary `objects of the invention is to provide a device Aof this character 'which will be simple and compact in construction, which will present two abrading Surfaces of different characters, which will hold a blade to be sharpened in proper position and at the proper angle with respect to both of said surfaces, which will be adjustable so that the angle of the blade may be changed to accommodate the device to various types of blades, and which will a'ord protection to the abrading elements when the device is not in use.

Other objects of my invention and the structural characteristics of one embodiment thereof will be readily appreciated as the same becomes betterunderstood by 3.0 reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vsharp- .ener embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a similarview of one of the covers with the blade-holder-positioned therein; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view throughthe device with both covers in place thereon; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the`construction shown in Fig. 1; Fig. -5 is a transverse sectional view through theblade-holder; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view' through the holder; Fig. 7 is a. plan view ofthe holder shown in Fig. 6;

8 is a perspective view of the remov- Fig. l ab e element of the holder; F ig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 6; Fig. `10 is a sectional View on the line 10-10 of Fig. 6; Fig. 11 is a plan view of a modified 50 form-of holder.

From an inspection of the drawings it will beV observedthat the frame ot' the holder lcomprises essentially two plates 13 and 14 .spaced apart by, spacing blocks 15 and 16 at theends, the plates being rigidly secured Improvements in I together by'rivets 17 yor otherwise so as to provide a slot or track 18 between the plates, which slot extends entirely across the frame andV substantially throughout the length thereof. The plates which are substantially duplicates of each other are provided with flanges 19 extending around the platesnear the margins thereof to provide sockets or holders for a pair of abrading elements. Y One of these elements designated by reference character 21 is inthe form `of abone while the other 22 consists of a stropping pad, the hone being adapted for preliminary sharpening and the :tropping pad for nishing purposes. The hone and the pad fit tightly within theflanges 19 and, if preferred, an adhesive may be utilized to securely fasten them in place.

A pair of covers 23 and 24, respectively, a re shaped to lit the flanges 19 so as to cover 76 thc abrading elements and protect them from dust and dirt when the device is not in use. The covers are substantially of the same size so that they may be interchangeable, and the cover 24 is'providedat the four 80 corners with legs or feet 25, preferably oi rubber, which serve to support the frame in operative position and to prevent slippage of the same on the surface upon which it rests.

It will be obvious that when the vcover 23 is 85 removed the hone 21 will be presented uppermost in operative position-as shown 'in Fig.

1 an'd that when it is desired to use the strop 22 the cover.24 is placed over the hone 21 and the entire frame is inverted so as to present the strop 22 upwardly. A carrier adapted to carry a-blade-holder in operative relation to the hone or the stropping ad is designed and arranged to reciprocate ongitudinally of the device between the pad and the hone. This carrier comprises a pair of rollers 26 and 2 7 extending transversely of the slot 18 and rotatably mounted onrods 28 and 29 respectively, which are rigidly connected at their ends to end-pieces 3l and 32. The end-pieces slidingly contact with the edges of the plates 13 and 14 and are each provided with outwardly extending threaded bosses 33 and 34 respectively, and with integral ears or guides 35 and A pair of substantially U-shaped guiding `and supporting devices 37 straddle the guides 35 and 36 by which they are maintained in vertical position, and clamping thumb nuts 38 are threaded onto the bosses 33 and 34 to 110 clamp the members 37 in adjusted position. It'will be. observed that the outer end of the ase of each of. the members 37 is concave .-:S indicated at 39 to form a. support for the bladefholder, the legs of the other member 37 ofthe pair serve as guides'to retain the holder on the sullport. By raising bers 37 on `the bosses the height at which the holder will be supported may be varied so as to present thebladecarried by the holder at-the proper angle to the abrading surface. Y

The holder comprises two elements 41 and 42 respectively, between which the blades are. clamped` rlhe element 41 is shaped to present a flat upper surface and at one end it is equipped. with a rap 43 rigidly secured thereto by a rivet 44, said cap presenting an inclined ception of the similarly shaped head 4G of the element 42. The other end of element' squared as indicated .at 47- (Fig. 9)

to slidingly receive the squared portion of i:mrtvthe holdeothe 'requisite distance aboveA a surrounding sleeve 48 which has an inclined undercut portion .49 adapted to receive the head fili of the member 42. The. extremitv of the element4l beyond the squared portion 47 is threaded to receive a thumb nut 51 by means of which the sleeve 48 may be forced inwardly to firmly clamp the. element 42 against the element 41, thereby clamping and holdin,"r a blade 52 between the. elements. lt \vi'll be obvious'that by loosening the nut 51 the sleeve may be slipped baelc so as-to release oneend of the.

element 42. whereupon the element may be removed by withdrawing it from the cap 42S. blade ran be positioned upon the element 4l and the element 42- replaced-by slippingoneend. under the cap v43, pressing thiother end down, and then forcing the. sleeve 48 into holding position by means of the nut 5l. 'lhe holder shown in Figs. 1 to 10 inclusive is' adapted to hold-a double..

edged blade. but in Fig. Il l have shown a modified form ofl holder havingr agportion thereof cut a\va v as indicated at 59. to receive the. bark- 53 of a singleedgedv blade. ln other particulars the holder is substantially like that previously described.

ln using the device a blade is firstpositioned in the holder and then the supportingr and guiding'klevices 37 are set tosupthe hone or strop. as the case-may be, so

that the blade 'will Abe .presented at -the proper angle to the abrading surface. EBV

tween-the. thumb and forefinger the operator may move the. carrier back and forth longitudinally of the. frame and by a Slight turnmg movementof thcfingers at each end of the. stroke the blade may. bevtilted to present the proper edge for the action of thel to be later described, and that.

or lowering the mem-Y to be. used as a hone and undercut portion 45 for the re,

ried at each' oud of Said holder adapted to be blade-holder Assuming that the blade the honing is Acompletedblade in it is laid aside' 24 is reinovedfrom the stropping,r pad 22 and positioned over the hone. The device is then reversed to presentthe stropping pad uppermost whereupon the holder may be positionedilrtheu guides 3T and moved back and 'forth across the strop until the sharpening is completed. By loosenii`1} the nuts 38, the blade-holder guidingr and supporting devices 37 can be removed, thus enabling the abrading block strop for the blade v of an ordinari-r razor. 'It ivill also be ob- 30 served that the adjustable blade-holder guiding and supporting devices serve notonlv as a means for Supporting the-'blade at anv desired or 'proper angle vt0 the honing or stropping surface, but they also support the blade-holderabove or out of rubbing contact with such surface, thus insuring that the latter engages only the edge of the blade.

lVhen the device is not in use the strop and the hone are both covered and protected against dirt and the like, and in order that all the parts may be assembled into compact form I have provided within the cover 23 a pair of spring clips 5l and 55 adapted t0 receive and retain thil blade-holder, thereby preventing it from becomingr lost.

Mv invention and its-mode of operation should be fully understood from the fore-v going without further description and it' should be obvious that various changes in the im hanical details shown and described may be resorted to without departing from the srop'e of the invention as defined in the following' claims.

T claim: 1. In a blade-sharpener.' the combination of a hone and a stropping member fixedl)y mounted in spaced relationA so as topresent oppositely facing working surfaces, a car-l rier mounted to reciprocatel between lsaid hone-'and said stroppingmemlier, blade-- holder supporting`r and guiding means Ca'icarrier. and a bladereinovably enggfagedA ivith said supporting and guiding mean. sono abrading element. is first honed, after the holder with' the while the cover as topresent a blade. held thereby in op" vfaces.

'2; In a blade-sharpened'the combination1 of'a frame, a plurality of posed abradingr elements fixedl-y mounted therein. a reciprocable carrier .extending through said .frame betxveen said elemerils, supporting devices adjustably mounted on said carrier at each side of said frame, and a constructed to be removably engaged with said devices so as to present a blade 'in operati ve relation to either of said elements. i

3,' In a bladesharlmner,V the combination 1.301

oppositel'v dis- 120v of a frame having a central transversely diasposed slot, an abrading element mounted 1n said frame above and one beneath said slot,

blade-holder removably engageable with said devices.

4. In a blade Sharpener, the combination of a pair of abrading elements xedly* mounted in spaced relation so as to present oppositely disposed surfaces, a carrier reciprocable intermediate said elements, each end of said carrier being equipped with a plurality of oppositely extending adjustable supporting and guiding devices, and a blade-holder adapted to be engaged with said devices.

5. In a blade-Sharpener, the combination of a frame, a pair of oppositely disposed abrading elements lixedly mounted in said frame, a carrier slidably and permanently connected with said frame, comprising rollers extending transversely of the frame between said elements, and a pair of oppositely disposed guiding and supporting devices adjustablyanounted at each end of the rollers in position to receive and guide a blade-holder in operative reiation to either of said elements.

(. In a blade-Sharpener, the combination of a frame, a pair of abrading elements' xedly mounted in said frame so as to present oppositely facing working surfaces, a pair of interchangeable covers adapted to fit said frame so as to cover said' elements, and a plurality of feet mounted on one of said covers to form supports for the sharpener.

7. In a blade-sharpener, the combination of a frame, a pair of abrading elements ixedly mounted therein, a pair ofcovers detachably fitting said frame to cover said elements, a blade-holder, and means for supporting saidv holder in operative relation to either of said elements.

8. In a blade-sharpener, the combination of a frame having a centrally disposed track, an abrading element mounted at one side of said track.v a carrier comprising rollers en gaged with said track and supporting and guiding devices carried at each end of said rollers, and a blade-holder removably engageable with said supporting and guiding devices.

9. In a blade Sharpener, the combination of a pair of abrading elements i'kedly mounted so as to present oppositely disposed surfaces, a carrier reciprocably attached to said elements, said carrier being equipped with a plurality of adjustable sup porting and guiding devices, and a blade holder adapted to be engaged with said devices.

10. In a blade Sharpener, the combination of a frame provided with a track, an abrading element mounted in said frame, a carrier comprising rollers engaged with said track and supporting and guiding devices disposed at each side of the abradin'g ele- (ment, and a blade holder` removably engageable with said supporting and guiding devices.

AMOS A. WYCKOFF. 

